Tank thief



June 30, 1925.

H. C. BEARD INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 30, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,544,206 PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. BEARD, F SOUB LAKE, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR 0F' ONE-.HALF T0 HBS. N. A.

CRAVENS, 0F

TANK

Application led Kay 2,

To all whom t may conce'm:

Be it known that I HENRY C. BEARD, a Citizen of the Unae states,residing a Sour Lake, in the county of Hardin and State of Texas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Tank Thieves, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to implements used for extracting a sample ofliquid from a l0 receptacle and has for its object the provision of anovel tank thief adapted to be lowered to any desired depth in areceptacle and provided with valve means for trapping a sample of theliquid.

An important and more s ecific object is the provision of a device othis character embodying a novel valve structure and manually operablereleasing means therefor whereby to eii'ect closing of the device at adesired level within the tank or other container. f

The invention further contemplates the general improvement in thevarious details of construction and arrangement whereby to produce adevice for the purpose specified which will be simple to manufacture,easy to use and operate, positive in action,

and durable in service.

With the above and other objects and advantages in View the inventionconsists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device,

Figure 2 is an elevation of the lower end on a considerably largerscale,

Figure 3 is an elevation at right angles to Figure 2 showing the valveopen.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral designates anelongated glass tube located within a protective cage including a ring11 to which are secured elongated strips 12 which are curved in cross 45section to conform to the tube and which are connected at intervals bycross members 13. The upper ends of the strips 12 project beyond the topof the glass tube and are connected by a suspension loop 14 to which isconnected a cord or other flexible member 15 by means of which thedevice may be lowered into an oil tank or the like. One strip 12, orboth if preferred, is provided with graduations 16.

Secured upon the ring 11y are double sILsBEn, TEXAS.

THIEF.

1924. serial No. 710,677.

guides 17 includin inner open channels 18 and outer closed c annels 19.For closing the lower end of the tube, I provide a valve comprlslng adisk 20 carrying a cking 20 and provided with spaced paral el arms 21having their free ends located within the open channels 18 and pivotallymounted therein by pivot pins 22 passing through the open channels andthrough slots 23 1n the arms. By, this construction it will be seen thatthis valve is free to swing into or out of obstructing relation to thelower end of the ring 11. The slots 23 are important as they permit thevalve to be brought up snugly to seal the lower end of the device andretain a sample therein.

Carried by the disk 20 is an elongated leaf spring 24 which is dis sed.against and movable along a, guide strip 25 mounted at one side of thecage. At its free end this leaf spring carries an eye 26.

Mounted below the valve device above described is a ring 27 carried byspaced parallel arms 28 which are slidable through the closed channels19 and to which are connected coil springs 29 engaged upon hooks 30 orthe like at opposite sides of the cage. This ring 27 is adapted to beheld in spaced relation to the bottom of the device by means of apivoted catch 31 which operates as will be described.

The valve releasing means comprises a pair of angularly shaped arms 32pivoted at 33 on the strip 25 and terminating at one end in extensions34 and at their other ends in jaws 35. A spring is provided for norma 1yholding these arms in Asuch position that the jaws 35 will be incontact. When the valve is open, the eye 26 is engaged between the jaws35 .for positively holding the valve against closing movement, the catch31 holding the disk 27 spaced away from the lower end of the device.

To effect release of the valve, I rovide an elongated plunger 37slidable t rough `suitable guides 38 on the cage and also slidablethrough an ear 39 at the upper end of 'the strip 25. This plunger hasits upper end formed with a lateral extension 40 to which is connectedthe fiexible member 15 so that it may be manipulated bythe operator, andthe lower end of the plunger is formed with a wedge shaped head 42adapted to be forced between the extensions 34 for swinging the arms 32and releasing plunger for normally holding it in retracted position. n

Incase the device is to be used 1n obtaining samples from an oil tankcontaining a largequantity of B. S. it may be necessarlyl' to provideone or more welghts 44 whic may be secured on the cage at any deslredpoints and which will operate to insure passagef'of the device downthrough this heavy matter.

In the operation, it is first necessa to open the device and this isdone. by pu ling the disk 27 downwardly and swinging the catch 31 intoengagement therewith so that the disk will be positivel held in spacedrelationto the lower end o the ring 11 with the springs 29 undertension. The valve 20 is then swung laterally andl into substantiallyvvertical position and out of obstructing relation tothe lower end ofthe ring. The leaf spring 24 is thus placed under tension. 'I'he eye 26is engaged between the jaws 25 and they will operate to hold this valveitively in its open position. The device 1s then lowered into the tankfrom which the sample is to be extracted, the flexible member 15permitting lowering. When the device has been sunk to the desired depth,a small weight W is slipped over or onto the flexible member 15 andallowed todescend therealong. When this weight strikes against thelateral extension 40, the plunger 37 will be moved downwardly againstthe resistance of the spring 43 and the wedge shaped head 42 will beforced between the extensions 34 of the valve holding arms. When thisoccurs the jaws 35 move apart and the eye 26 is released, thuspermitting the spring 24 to throw the valve 20 into its normal positionbelow the lower end of the ring 11. The edge of this valve will strikeagainst the catch 31 and unseat it so that the springs 29 will pull thering 27 upwardly into forcible engagement wlth the valve, thus holdingit firmly against the ring 11 and making an effective seal which willhold the liquid which has entered the tube during its descent in thetank. By pulling upon the flexible member 15 the device is then liftedout of the tank. l

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right tomake such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts aswill not depart from the spirit of the invention or t e scope of thesubjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising an elongated tubeprovided with suspension means, a valve ivoted at the lower end of thetube and adapted to close the same, an elongated leaf spring carried byone edge of said valve and'located against one side of the tube, meansengaging said spring for holding the valve open and including a pair ofarm members pivoted in cross relation and terminating at one end in jawsfor engaging the spring and terminating at the other end in extensions,and means for forcing said extensions apart to release the slpring.

2. device of the character described comprising an elongated tubeprovided with suspension means, a valve ivoted at the lower end of thetube and adapted to close the same, an elongated leaf spring carried byone edge of' said valve and located against one side of the tube, adevice engaging said s ring for holding the vvalve open and inc uding apair of arm members pivoted in crossed relation and terminating at oneend in jaws engaging the spring and terminating at the other end inextensions, and means for forcing said extensions apart to release thespring comprising a plunger slidably mounted through guides on the tubeand having a wedge shaped head adapted to be forced between saidextensions.

3. A device of the character described comprising an elongated tubeprovided with suspension means, a laterally swingable valve pivoted atthe lower end of the tube and adapted to close the same, an elongatedleaf spring carried by one edge 'of said valve and located against ones1de of the tube, means engaging said spring for holding the valve openand including a pair of jaw members, and means for forcing said jawmembers apart to release the spring, an upwardly spring moved memberslidably mounted at the lower end of the tube and adapted to engage andseat the valve wheny said -spring is released, and means normallyholding said last named member inoperative.

4. A device of the character described comprising an elongated tubeprovided with suspension means, avalve pivoted at the lower end of thetube and adapted to close the same, an elongated leaf spring carried byone edge of said valve and located against one side of the tube, a clampdevice engaging said spring for holding the valve open and including apair of arm members pivoted in cross relation and terminating at one endin jaws for engaging the spring and terminating at the other end. inyextenslons, and means for forcing said extensions apart to release theSpring, an upwardly spring moved member slidably mounted at the -lowerend of the tube and adapted to engage and seat the valve when saidspring is released, means normally holding said last named memberinoperative, consisting of a pivoted catch located in the path ofmovement of the valve and released upon engagement thereby.

In testimony whereof I oiiix my signature.

HENRY C. BEARD.

